Agenda item 5.1(a) For decision CNL(07)15 Council Report of the Ad Hoc Review Group on the Parties Implementation Plans
CNL(07)15 Report of the Ad Hoc Review Group on the Parties Implementation Plans 1. The Strategic Approach for NASCO s Next Steps requires that each Party or jurisdiction develop an Implementation Plan focused around NASCO s three main agreements (which address fishery management, habitat protection and restoration, and aquaculture and associated activities) and which also takes into account NASCO s various guidelines. Guidelines for the preparation of these Implementation Plans, NSTF(06)10, were agreed by the Council and last June the Parties and relevant jurisdictions presented draft plans. It was agreed that the final plans would be provided to the Secretariat by October 2006 and these would then be subject to review by an Ad Hoc Review Group. The Implementation Plans submitted by the Parties are contained in document CNL(07)22. The report of the Ad Hoc Review Group is attached. 2. The Review Group was asked to assess the uniformity of the plans with the Council s Guidelines for their preparation, NSTF(06)10, and assess how well the plans lend themselves to evaluation in relation to NASCO s Resolution and Agreements. The Review Group comprised Mary Colligan, Ted Potter, Andras Kristiansen and Arni Isaksson from NASCO s Parties and Chris Poupard and Gareth Porter from the NGOs. I served as Coordinator, which meant that I chaired the meeting. The Secretariat also facilitated the Group s work and provided the rapporteur but we did not review the plans. The task before the Group was somewhat daunting but the Group was an excellent team that worked in a very conscientious and fair way. 3. The focus of the assessment was the structure of the plan and its conformity to the guidelines. Consequently, to receive a favourable review a plan had to contain the key elements identified in the guidelines. So the reviews are not about the adequacy or otherwise of each jurisdiction s record of salmon management, they are simply about the structure and content of the plans. 4. The Group s assessments of the 15 plans available to it are contained in Annexes 3 and 4 of the attached report. A report on the Group s findings will be presented in a Special Session during the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting. There will then be an opportunity for a discussion under Special Session rules (i.e. all delegates and all NGOs may participate freely). The Parties may respond to these reviews if they so wish. Any revisions to the plans will then be subject to final review by the Ad Hoc group. 5. The Council is asked to consider the report of the Ad Hoc Review Group and decide on appropriate action. The Council will also be asked to decide on the focus area for the first reports by the Parties under their Implementation Plans, to be made in 2008, and agree the Terms of Reference and composition of a further Ad Hoc Group to review these reports. Secretary Edinburgh 11 April 2007
IP(07)4 Report of the Ad Hoc Review Group on Implementation Plans Palomar Hotel, Washington DC, USA 12 16 March 2006 1. Opening of the Meeting by the Coordinator 1.1 The Coordinator, Dr Malcolm Windsor, opened the meeting and welcomed members of the Ad Hoc Review Group to Washington. He indicated that the Group had a unique task before it in that NASCO is probably the first inter-governmental fishery organization to undertake such an in-depth review of progress in implementing its agreements. Furthermore, the review is unique in that NASCO s NGOs are part of the process. He noted that the Group s task was complicated because it involves assessment of compliance with internationally agreed NASCO agreements and guidelines concerning management of habitat, aquaculture, introductions and transfers and fisheries and this task will involve judgments, a critical mind set and presentations of the findings in a diplomatic way. He indicated that it would be necessary to spend some time developing a sound basis for the reviews so that they are well constructed and fair and will, therefore, be accepted by the Parties, even where they are critical of them. He stressed that the Group s Terms of Reference state that the group is not required to produce a unanimous report but to reflect all positions taken by members on the adequacy of the Implementation Plans presented and their alignment with the NASCO agreements and guidelines. He noted that the members of the Group were participating as individuals representing the interests of the wild salmon as interpreted by NASCO s agreements and guidelines and not representing the interests of their Parties. He referred to his role as Coordinator of the Group in that he would not be a reviewer and the Secretariat s role was only to facilitate and support the Group s work. He concluded that there are many challenges for the Group in developing a strong foundation for its work, in developing reviews that reflect the interests of the salmon and in agreeing how to present the findings in a public forum. He indicated that he was looking forward to the next few days and to a valuable and thought-provoking report by the Group which will play a central role for the years to come in influencing the actions that NASCO s Parties take to conserve the wild stocks. 1.2 The representatives of the NGOs indicated that they very much welcome and appreciate the manner in which NASCO has undertaken the review of its activities and in particular the approach to assessing progress with implementation of its agreements. They indicated that NASCO deserves much credit for the transparent and inclusive way in which it has undertaken this work and they greatly appreciated being invited to participate in the process. 1.3 A list of participants is contained in Annex 1. 2. Adoption of the Agenda 2.1 The Group adopted its agenda, IP(07)3 (Annex 2), but changed item 5 to Adequacy of Implementation Plans. 1
3. Review of Terms of Reference and Consideration of Working Methods 3.1 The Coordinator indicated that the Terms of Reference developed by the Council at its Twenty-Third Annual Meeting, CNL(06)39, had subsequently been revised through correspondence among NASCO s Heads of Delegations so as to improve the transparency of the review process. Under the revised Terms of Reference the functions of the Group are described as follows. (a) (b) (c) (d) The Ad Hoc Review Group shall review and provide feedback to the Council on the adequacy of Implementation Plans submitted by the Parties or relevant jurisdictions. In carrying out this task the Ad Hoc Review Group should inter alia seek to assess the conformity of these plans with the Guidelines for the Preparation of NASCO Implementation Plans and for Reporting on Progress, NSTF(06)10, and how well the plans lend themselves to evaluation in relation to the objectives of NASCO s Resolutions and Agreements. The Ad Hoc Review Group s report will be issued to the Parties and NGOs at the earliest opportunity and presented at a Special Session during the 2007 Annual Meeting. At this Special Session the Parties will have the opportunity to respond to the Ad Hoc Review Group s findings by reporting on any steps they have taken, or intend to take, to address the Group s suggestions. Any revisions to the Implementation Plans will be submitted by the Parties within a period of two months after the 2007 Annual Meeting for final review by the Ad Hoc Review Group. In the event that the Ad Hoc Review Group still has concerns about an Implementation Plan the President would be asked to liaise with the Party concerned. The Ad Hoc Review Group is not required to produce a unanimous report but to reflect all positions taken by members on the adequacy of the Implementation Plans presented and their alignment with the NASCO agreements and guidelines. 3.2 The Group discussed its working methods. Prior to the meeting the Group had agreed, by correspondence, a format designed to ensure consistency in the reviews, to facilitate assessment of the plans with regard to their conformity with the guidelines, NSTF(06)10, and to allow evaluation of the adequacy of the Implementation Plans in relation to NASCO s Resolutions and Agreements. A lead reviewer was assigned to each plan from among the NASCO representatives and the NGOs also undertook initial reviews of all the plans. The NGO Chairman had sent the plans to the NGOs in each country and where a country had more than one NGO a lead organization had been appointed to coordinate the responses. These initial reviews from the NASCO representatives and the NGOs formed the basis for the Group s initial deliberations. 3.3 At the meeting the Group made a number of changes to the original review format. Although the original format contained a numerical scoring system the Group found that this was not particularly useful and decided not to use it in its assessments of the plans. The Group decided that it would conduct its assessment of the adequacy of the measures detailed in the Implementation Plans on the basis of the information provided on the status of stocks, the threats to these stocks, the existing management measures in place and the commitments made for future management measures. The initial review format had also contained a question about data deficiencies and 2
research needs. This was removed as it had not been clearly emphasized in the guidelines, NSTF(06)10. The Group decided to base its assessments on the key elements of the guidelines, NSTF(06)10, which detail the structure and format of, and outline the contents to be included in, the Implementation Plans. The Group also made some amendments to the format used for the initial reviews to ensure that it conformed precisely with the guidelines, NSTF(06)10. In the interests of providing succinct reviews the questions addressed by the Group are abbreviated in the reviews but are detailed in full below. A. Structure and Format of the Plan A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 Does the plan apply to all stocks/fisheries managed within a jurisdiction? Does the plan apply for a period of at least 5 years and will it generally require no annual modification unless circumstances change significantly? Is the plan consistent with, and adopt approaches specified within, NASCO Resolutions and Agreements, and does it take account of NASCO Guidelines as appropriate to the management approach? Is the plan written in a clear and concise form for easy accessibility and reference (e.g. use of numbered paragraphs)? Does the plan describe a process and outputs that are open to critical evaluation? B. Content of the Plan B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 Introduction: Does the plan provide a general picture of the resource and the management structure in place within the relevant jurisdiction? Status of stocks: Does the plan describe the current status of stocks for future comparison? Threats to stocks and current management measures: Does the plan provide a summary of the threats and outline the existing management measures, with specific reference to the extent to which NASCO s Resolutions and Agreements have been applied? Management approach to fisheries: Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to review and modify fishery regulations, both routine periodic reviews and the introduction of emergency measures, to include reference to/use of the NASCO Decision Structure for Management of Fisheries with measurable outputs against which subsequent reports can be assessed? Management approach to habitat protection and restoration: Does the plan provide a clear summary of the approach that will be adopted to assess estuarine and freshwater habitat quality, identify problems and prioritise remedial actions, taking account of the guidance in the NASCO Plan of Action for the Protection and Restoration of Atlantic Salmon Habitat, with measurable outputs against which subsequent reports can be assessed? Management approach to aquaculture and introductions and transfers: Does the plan provide a clear summary of the approach that will be adopted to minimise any adverse impacts from aquaculture and to control introductions and transfers, in line with the Williamsburg Resolution, with measurable outputs against which subsequent reports can be assessed? Addressing other influences: Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to address other influences affecting salmon abundance or diversity, including those that may be reducing marine survival of stocks (e.g. collaborative action through the SALSEA programme)? 3
B8 B9 Evaluation: Does the plan provide a summary of monitoring and evaluation activities that will be used to assess status of stocks and efficacy of management measures? Socio-Economic Issues: Does the plan consider the social and economic implications of the actions proposed under B4 B7? 3.4 The Group clarified its interpretation of some of these questions as follows: Question A1: the Group noted that while the Implementation Plans often referred to the number of salmon rivers in a country, it was not always clear if the plan applied to them all, but this was assumed to be the case; Question A3: the Group decided that in its assessment of this aspect of the guidelines, NSTF(06)10, it would assess only whether or not the Implementation Plans contained appropriate references to NASCO s Agreements, Resolutions and Guidelines. The Group felt that such references were important in making clear the linkage between national measures and the NASCO agreements. The extent to which these Agreements, Resolutions and Guidelines had been applied by the Parties in their existing and proposed management measures, as detailed in the Implementation Plans, was assessed in developing responses to questions B3-B7; Question A4: the Group felt that the assessment should focus on the need for outputs to be clearly identified and numerically referenced so as to facilitate future reporting and cross-referencing; Question A5: the Group interpreted the term process and outputs to mean that there was a need for clearly expressed commitments in the form of specific management actions with timescales so that progress on their implementation could be followed in future; Question B2: the guidelines, NSTF(06)10, seek a description of the current status of stocks for future comparison. The Group agreed that it should assess this aspect of the plans on the basis of whether information had been presented on the status of stocks at a national or local level together with an indication of the process that would provide a basis for future comparison; Questions B4 B6: the Group decided that it would interpret the term measurable outputs to mean specific management actions with timescales for their implementation; Question B7: the Group had some difficulty in assessing this aspect because some Implementation Plans contained no information on other influences while some others did identify other influences but did not indicate how they would be addressed. The Group was unable to assess if plans should have identified and addressed other influences and so did not make an assessment for those plans that did not identify any other influences; Question B8: In assessing if the Implementation Plans provided a summary of monitoring and evaluation activities that will be used to assess status of stocks and efficacy of management measures, the Group did not attempt to assess if appropriate actions had been taken to allow the efficacy of management measures in all the focus areas in the plans to be evaluated. Instead, the Group primarily based its assessment on whether the plans made provision for an evaluation of stock status that would provide an indication of the success or otherwise of the overall Implementation Plan. However, some plans did indicate how the efficacy of specific management measures would be evaluated; Question B9: the Group did not assign an assessment to this question because it was not clearly emphasized in the guidelines, NSTF(06)10, and few Parties had provided details of the social and economic implications of the actions proposed. Nonetheless, 4
the Council has adopted Guidelines for Incorporating Social and Economic Factors in Decisions under the Precautionary Approach and the Group believes that an exchange of information among the Parties on how social and economic factors are considered in reaching management decisions would be valuable when reports on progress in implementing plans are made. The Group felt that this element might be given further consideration by each jurisdiction in reviewing their plans. 3.5 For each of the questions above, each section of the plans was classed as satisfactory if it required no changes or only minor modifications; it was classed as not satisfactory if significant changes or additions were required. Where N/A is shown, the Group considers that the question concerned is not applicable. 3.6 The Group agreed on a number of ground rules to guide its work in undertaking the reviews. These were as follows: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) The lead reviewers were asked to lead the discussion within the Group and where unanimity emerged, to produce a final assessment to take into account any views from the Group; The lead reviewers would remain anonymous in the report and in the event that one or more members of the Group did not agree with a particular aspect or aspects of the review then the report would indicate that there were dissenting views but not disclose which members of the Group expressed the dissenting views unless they desired to do so; The Group would base its reviews only on the information presented in the Implementation Plan; Because not all jurisdictions were represented on the Group, it was agreed that a member of the Group from a country whose Implementation Plan was being reviewed would not be present during the review of that plan; While the Group recognized that the extent of the salmon stocks and the resources available to manage them varies markedly between jurisdictions, the Group took no account of these differences in undertaking its reviews; The Group recognized that in some jurisdictions the responsibility for management of salmon stocks rests with the riparian owners while in others the resource is managed by the public sector. The Group felt that, nonetheless, governments have or should have powers to conserve the resource and it should therefore be possible to summarise in the Implementation Plans the management actions that are expected to be taken by the appropriate bodies in the coming years.. This difference was not, therefore, taken into account in reviewing the Implementation Plans; In some cases Implementation Plans expressed aspirations for certain objectives but these were not considered as commitments to implement measures under the plans since they lacked specific actions and timescales; Following an initial review of all the plans and their revision in the light of the Group s suggestions, all the reviews were re-examined to ensure consistency. 5
4. Review of Implementation Plans 4.1 Implementation Plans were received from, and reviewed by, the Group for the following jurisdictions: Canada, IP(06)11 Denmark, IP(06)10 England and Wales, IP(06)3 Faroe Islands, IP(06)15 Finland, IP(06)5 Greenland, IP(06)8 Iceland, IP(06)7 Ireland, IP(06)14 Northern Ireland, IP(06)1 Norway, IP(06)12 Russian Federation, IP(06)9 Scotland, IP(06)2 Spain, IP(06)13 Sweden, IP(06)6 USA, IP(06)4 4.2 The Group noted that the Implementation Plan for Spain applied only to the Principality of Asturias and the other Autonomous Regions with salmon interests, such as Cantabria and Galicia, had not submitted information for inclusion in the plan for Spain. Nonetheless, the Group decided to proceed with a review of the information presented since it felt this might assist the other regions in presenting information for inclusion in the Implementation Plan. 4.3 In the case of the Faroese Implementation Plan there had evidently been a communication failure and information had only been provided in relation to the management of four small rivers supporting populations of Atlantic salmon but not for the marine salmon fishery. This had not operated for several years although it is subject to decisions agreed in NASCO s North-East Atlantic Commission. The Group reviewed the plan as submitted and pointed out this discrepancy. 4.4 Implementation Plans were not received from the following jurisdictions and could not, therefore, be reviewed: France Germany Portugal 4.5 The lack of these plans is a concern and the Group recommends that the Council strongly urges the EU Member States concerned to submit plans without further delay so that they can be reviewed by the Group. 4.6 All of the plans differed markedly in length, clarity and content. The Group noted that the Council s intention had been that the draft Implementation Plans presented at NASCO s Twenty-Third Annual Meeting would be further developed intersessionally and made available to the Group by the end of October 2006 so as to allow 6
adequate time for their review. However, several plans were received just prior to the Group s meeting, restricting the time available for the initial reviews. The Group noted that the guidelines, NSTF(06)10, state that Implementation Plans should apply for a period of at least five years and generally require no annual modification unless circumstances change significantly. However, some Implementation Plans were labelled as draft or provisional. The assessment of these plans was necessarily conducted on the basis of their current content. 4.7 The Group noted that the majority of Implementation Plans failed to make any reference to NASCO s Agreements, Resolutions and Guidelines or the extent to which they had been applied. This is a concern, given that the purpose of the plans is to detail how the approaches in these internationally agreed measures have been incorporated into domestic management regimes. 4.8 The Group noted that most plans failed to include clearly identifiable measurable outputs in the form of specific management actions with timescales for their implementation. 4.9 The Group noted that in accordance with the NASCO Plan of Action for the Protection and Restoration of Atlantic Salmon Habitat, the Parties should establish inventories of salmon rivers. The Council has established a web-based database to hold information on salmon rivers, the habitat they contain and salmon production data provided by the Parties and relevant jurisdictions. Few of the Implementation Plans contained reference to the establishment of inventories or commitments to contribute to the NASCO database. 4.10 While the Group may have inadvertently missed points of detail, it believes that its overall assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of the plans are broadly correct. While the Group s Terms of Reference allow for different views to be expressed in presenting its findings, there was unanimous agreement on the assessment of all of the Implementation Plans. The Group was aware that to agree its working methods and thoroughly review fifteen plans, amounting to approximately 300 pages, was a somewhat daunting task in a four-day meeting. It believes, however, that by developing its initial working methods and completing the initial reviews before the meeting it was able to work efficiently during its meeting and undertake checks to ensure consistency in the reviews. 5. Adequacy of Implementation Plans 5.1 The Group s assessments of the fifteen Implementation Plans are presented in alphabetical order by jurisdiction in document IP(07)5, Annex 3. The Group s assessments for each of the questions referred to in paragraph 3.3 above for all jurisdictions are presented in document IP(07)6, Annex 4. 5.2 It is clear from these reviews that the guidelines, NSTF(06)10, have been interpreted differently by the different jurisdictions. The plans that were assessed to be most satisfactory contained clear references to the NASCO Agreements and Resolutions and contained an action plan of measures to be implemented over the next five years, clearly referenced and with specific timescales for implementation of each measure. The Group believes that if there is to be progress with implementation of NASCO s Resolutions and Agreements, as proposed under the Next Steps for NASCO strategy, 7
it will be important that all the Implementation Plans provide a clear statement of the management actions, consistent with the NASCO Resolutions and Agreements, that are to be implemented over the next five years, with specific timescales for each action. This would then enable progress towards these goals to be assessed through the annual reports by the Parties. 6. Arrangements for Special Session during the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting 6.1 The Group discussed the presentation of its findings during the Special Session at NASCO s Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting. It was recognised that the review of Implementation Plans was a central element of the Next Steps for NASCO Strategy and that it would be important to present the findings in a stimulating, diplomatic and informative manner. The Group discussed the content of its presentation, which might consist of an introduction by the Coordinator, setting the scene and describing the approach used by the Review Group in conducting its assessments. The results of the review would then be presented and it was suggested that this might be best achieved by grouping the Implementation Plans according to, for example, whether or not they contained references to NASCO agreements, to action plans or to action plans with timescales. The presentation might then select particular aspects of the plans and highlight examples of best practice in these plans, e.g. with regard to describing stock status, threats to the resource, existing management measures and future management approaches. Mary Colligan and Chris Poupard were asked to liaise in developing an outline of the presentation for consideration by the Group, which would then need to resolve who would deliver the presentation. 6.2 The Group noted that its Terms of Reference indicated that at the Special Session the Parties would have the opportunity to respond to the Ad Hoc Review Group s findings by reporting on any steps they have taken, or intend to take, to address the Group s suggestions. 7. Arrangements for the Future Work of the Group 7.1 The Group agreed that a further meeting would not be necessary at this stage but might be required in the autumn to review the revised plans and any additional plans received. It was noted that the Council had decided to appoint a further Ad Hoc Review Group in relation to assessing the reports by the Parties on the first focus area but that the topic of this focus area and the Terms of Reference for that group and its participants would be agreed at the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting. 8. Report of the Meeting 8.1 The Group agreed a report of its meeting. 9. Any Other Business 9.1 There was no other business. 10. Close of Meeting 10.1 The Coordinator thanked participants for their contributions and closed the meeting. 8
Annex 1 Ad Hoc Review Group on Implementation Plans Palomar Hotel, Washington DC, USA 12 16 March 2006 List of Participants Reviewers: Ms Mary Colligan, National Marine Fisheries Service, USA Mr Arni Isaksson, Agricultural Authority of Iceland, Iceland Mr Andras Kristiansen, Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Faroe Islands Dr Gareth Porter, WWF (US), USA Mr Ted Potter, CEFAS, UK Mr Chris Poupard, Chairman of NASCO s NGOs, UK Secretariat: Dr Malcolm Windsor, NASCO, UK (Coordinator) Dr Peter Hutchinson, NASCO, UK (Rapporteur) 9
10
Annex 2 IP(07)3 Ad Hoc Review Group on Implementation Plans Palomar Hotel, Washington DC, USA 12 16 March 2006 A G E N D A 1. Opening of the Meeting by the Coordinator 2. Adoption of the Agenda 3. Review of Terms of Reference and Consideration of Working Methods 4. Review of Implementation Plans Jurisdiction Canada Denmark England and Wales Faroe Islands Finland Greenland Iceland Ireland Northern Ireland Norway Russian Federation Scotland Spain Sweden USA Paper No. IP(06)11 IP(06)10 IP(06)3 IP(06)15 IP(06)5 IP(06)8 IP(06)7 IP(06)14 IP(06)1 IP(06)12 IP(06)9 IP(06)2 IP(06)13 IP(06)6 IP(06)4 5. Adequacy of Implementation Plans 6. Arrangements for Special Session during the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting 7. Arrangements for the Future Work of the Group 8. Report of the Meeting 9. Any Other Business 10. Close of Meeting 11
12
Annex 3 IP(07)5 Review of Implementation Plan CANADA The following assessment of the Plan refers to the key requirements detailed in the Guidelines for the Preparation of NASCO Implementation Plans and for Reporting on Progress (NSTF(06)10). Under each of these headings the Plan has been classed as satisfactory if it requires no changes or only minor modifications; it has been classed as not satisfactory if significant changes or additions are required. Where N/A is shown the Group considers that the question concerned is not applicable. A. Structure and Format of the Plan Is the Plan The Guidelines indicate a number of general criteria for the Plan and indicate that they should be clearly understandable by both managers and stakeholders: A1 Does the plan apply to all stocks/fisheries managed within the jurisdiction? o The plan describes approximately 900 salmon rivers and associated fisheries in four management areas A2 Does the plan apply for a period of at least 5 years? o The plan describes measures to be implemented for 2006-2010 A3 Does the plan make reference to NASCO s Guidelines, Resolutions and Agreements? o Specific reference is made to the appropriate NASCO Resolutions, Agreements and Guidelines A4 Is the plan written in a clear and concise form for easy accessibility and reference [e.g. to facilitate future reporting and cross-referencing to the plan]? o The text is clearly written, but proposed activities are not presented in a way that will facilitate reporting and cross-referencing to the plan A5 Does the plan describe a process and outputs that are open to critical evaluation? o The plan describes the science well but does not describe outputs that will allow critical evaluation due to the lack of clear commitments and timescales B. Content of the Plan Is the Plan The Guidelines propose that the plans should contain the elements below, and should describe measurable outputs and include reference to appropriate NASCO agreements. B1 Does the plan provide a general picture of the resource and the management structure in place? o Includes a description of the salmon resource and the management structures 13
B. Content of the Plan Is the Plan B2 Does the plan describe the current status of stocks that will allow for future comparison? o The plan summarises the abundance of stocks at a provincial level. Assessments are based on 75 rivers and these are used as indicators for other rivers within a region o The plan includes a description of stock diversity and other aspects of stock status B3 Does the plan provide a summary of the threats to stocks and outline current management measures? o Identifies a range of factors which may impact upon salmon stocks and outlines current management measures o An explanation of how threats have been prioritized would be useful B4 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to review and modify fishery regulations? o References to measurable outputs against which subsequent reports can be assessed are limited and do not go beyond 2008 o Outputs and timescales for managing recreational fisheries in the future are not described o The process and timescale for evaluating the effectiveness of the measures introduced in 2006 to reduce the catch of 2SW fish in coastal areas of Labrador lack specificity B5 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to assess habitat quality, identify problems and prioritise actions? o The plan indicates a continuation of the current approach to habitat management, but with the exception of the acid rain program, references to measurable outputs by which subsequent reports can be assessed are missing B6 Does the plan include a summary of the approaches that will be adopted to minimise adverse effects of aquaculture and control introductions and transfers? o The plan describes fairly clearly the current management approach to aquaculture and introductions and transfers already in place, but specific future actions and timescales are lacking B7 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to address other influences? o Activities are identified in relation to SALSEA with schedules for reporting. Other influences are identified (contaminants and invasive species), but no actions are identified B8 Does the plan provide a summary of monitoring and evaluation activities that will be used to assess stock status and the efficacy of management measures? o Identifies monitoring and evaluation activities that will be used to assess stock status and the efficacy of management measures B9 How does the plan consider socio-economic issues? o Reference is made to the commitments of federal Canada to Aboriginals for food, social and ceremonial purposes as a first priority after conservation 14
Review of Implementation Plan DENMARK The following assessment of the Plan refers to the key requirements detailed in the Guidelines for the Preparation of NASCO Implementation Plans and for Reporting on Progress (NSTF(06)10). Under each of these headings the Plan has been classed as satisfactory if it requires no changes or only minor modifications; it has been classed as not satisfactory if significant changes or additions are required. Where N/A is shown the Group considers that the question concerned is not applicable. A. Structure and Format of the Plan Is the Plan The Guidelines indicate a number of general criteria for the Plan and indicate that they should be clearly understandable by both managers and stakeholders: A1 Does the plan apply to all stocks/fisheries managed within the jurisdiction? o The plan describes 9 rivers (which historically had salmon) and associated fisheries A2 Does the plan apply for a period of at least 5 years? o There is no indication of a clear timescale for the plan, although reference is made to a National Management Plan A3 Does the plan make reference to NASCO s Guidelines, Resolutions and Agreements? o There is no specific reference to the NASCO Resolutions, Agreements and Guidelines A4 Is the plan written in a clear and concise form for easy accessibility and reference [e.g. to facilitate future reporting and cross-referencing to the plan]? o The plan has limited information and proposed activities are not presented in a way that will facilitate reporting and cross-referencing to the plan A5 Does the plan describe a process and outputs that are open to critical evaluation? o The plan does not describe outputs that will allow critical evaluation due to the lack of clear commitments and timescales B. Content of the Plan Is the Plan The Guidelines propose that the plans should contain the elements below, and should describe measurable outputs and include reference to appropriate NASCO agreements. B1 Does the plan provide a general picture of the resource and the management structure in place? o Includes a limited description of the salmon resource and management entities B2 Does the plan describe the current status of stocks that will allow for future comparison? o The plan does not describe a system in place to assess the status of stocks 15
B. Content of the Plan Is the Plan B3 Does the plan provide a summary of the threats to stocks and outline current management measures? o Limited information is provided on threats and current management measures are not described B4 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to review and modify fishery regulations? o There is very limited information on fisheries management and no measurable outputs or timescales B5 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to assess habitat quality, identify problems and prioritise actions? o The plan identifies some actions, but lacks specific timescales B6 Does the plan include a summary of the approaches that will be adopted to minimise adverse effects of aquaculture and control introductions and transfers? o The plan identifies some actions, but these are not very clear and lack specific timescales B7 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to address other influences? N/A o No other influences are identified B8 Does the plan provide a summary of monitoring and evaluation activities that will be used to assess stock status and the efficacy of management measures? o The plan does not address this issue B9 How does the plan consider socio-economic issues? o The plan does not mention consideration of socio-economic factors 16
Review of Implementation Plan ENGLAND AND WALES The following assessment of the Plan refers to the key requirements detailed in the Guidelines for the Preparation of NASCO Implementation Plans and for Reporting on Progress (NSTF(06)10). Under each of these headings the Plan has been classed as satisfactory if it requires no changes or only minor modifications; it has been classed as not satisfactory if significant changes or additions are required. Where N/A is shown the Group considers that the question concerned is not applicable. A. Structure and Format of the Plan Is the Plan The Guidelines indicate a number of general criteria for the Plan and indicate that they should be clearly understandable by both managers and stakeholders: A1 Does the plan apply to all stocks/fisheries managed within the jurisdiction? o The plan describes 78 salmon rivers and associated fisheries A2 Does the plan apply for a period of at least 5 years? o The plan states that each Salmon Action Plan (SAP) contains an agreed list of actions over a 5-year lifetime A3 Does the plan make reference to NASCO s Guidelines, Resolutions and Agreements? o Specific reference is made to the appropriate NASCO Resolutions, Agreements and Guidelines A4 Is the plan written in a clear and concise form for easy accessibility and reference [e.g. to facilitate future reporting and cross-referencing to the plan]? o The text is clearly written, with numbered actions o Identification of references or source data would be useful A5 Does the plan describe a process and outputs that are open to critical evaluation? o The Actions to be undertaken are very clearly specified in the plan; although the overall schedule is for 5 years the timescale associated with each individual action is not always clear B. Content of the Plan Is the Plan The Guidelines propose that the plans should contain the elements below, and should describe measurable outputs and include reference to appropriate NASCO agreements. B1 Does the plan provide a general picture of the resource and the management structure in place? o Includes a description of the salmon resource and the management structures 17
B. Content of the Plan Is the Plan B2 Does the plan describe the current status of stocks that will allow for future comparison? o The plan summarises the abundance of stocks at a national level based upon the ICES PFA model and the status of individual stocks assessed against conservation limits o There are clear and measurable objectives for each river that the stock should be meeting or exceeding its CL in at least 4/5 years B3 Does the plan provide a summary of the threats to stocks and outline current management measures? o Identifies a range of factors which may impact upon salmon stocks and outlines current management measures B4 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to review and modify fishery regulations? o In general the plan contains specific actions and associated timescales, but additional specificity would be helpful in the following areas o Plan notes that 53% of rivers are not meeting CLs, but the plan does not appear to prioritize action on these rivers o Plan states that there is a national policy to phase out mixed stock fisheries, but a specific timescale is not specified and the plan lacks urgency in dealing with this issue o Plan indicates limited regulatory control over some fishing effort, which raises question of how goals will be achieved B5 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to assess habitat quality, identify problems and prioritise actions? o The plan describes the process of reviewing and updating Salmon Action Plans as the approach for addressing habitat o These plans cover a 5-year timescale and contain specific actions and progress against these actions is reviewed annually and will be provided to NASCO B6 Does the plan include a summary of the approaches that will be adopted to minimise adverse effects of aquaculture and control introductions and transfers? o The plan does include specific actions and associated timescales o The plan comprehensively addresses all of the relevant issues and has appropriate references to NASCO guidelines and resolutions o It would be useful to identify what, in Action 13, is considered a significant increase in the incidence of salmon farm escapees in monitored rivers that would trigger appropriate action (Note: England and Wales does not have marine aquaculture) o It would be useful to provide detail on the terms of current national policies for introductions and transfers and how they are consistent with NASCO principles and it is not clear how reporting on action 12 will be completed o Action 14 includes completion and reporting, but no commitment to take action in light of that report 18
B. Content of the Plan Is the Plan B7 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to address other influences? o Reporting on research into factors affecting marine survival is identified B8 Does the plan provide a summary of monitoring and evaluation activities that will be used to assess stock status and the efficacy of management measures? o Identifies monitoring and evaluation activities that will be used to assess stock status and the efficacy of management measures o The plan clearly sets out a process for evaluating river by river progress within Salmon Action Plans B9 How does the plan consider socio-economic issues? o One of the main objectives identified is to optimize the total economic value of surplus stocks and the plan identifies when socio-economic values are addressed in developing fishing controls for salmon fisheries o Salmon Action Plans include identification of main factors limiting performance and drawing up and costing a list of options to address these o Plan states that existing licensees who are dependent upon fishing for their livelihood retain the right to receive a license as long as they wish 19
20
Review of Implementation Plan FAROE ISLANDS The following assessment of the Plan refers to the key requirements detailed in the Guidelines for the Preparation of NASCO Implementation Plans and for Reporting on Progress (NSTF(06)10). Under each of these headings the Plan has been classed as satisfactory if it requires no changes or only minor modifications; it has been classed as not satisfactory if significant changes or additions are required. Where N/A is shown the Group considers that the question concerned is not applicable. A. Structure and Format of the Plan Is the Plan The Guidelines indicate a number of general criteria for the Plan and indicate that they should be clearly understandable by both managers and stakeholders: A1 Does the plan apply to all stocks/fisheries managed within the jurisdiction? o The plan states that the Faroe Islands has no rivers with historic/natural salmon stocks, but the plan describes four stocks that have been established (and may be maintained) by stocking programmes o The plan makes no mention of the large mixed stock of salmon within the Faroese EEZ or the fishery that has operated in the area in the past but not in recent years A2 Does the plan apply for a period of at least 5 years? o There is no indication of a clear timescale for the plan A3 Does the plan make reference to NASCO s Guidelines, Resolutions and Agreements? o There is no specific reference to the NASCO Resolutions, Agreements and Guidelines A4 Is the plan written in a clear and concise form for easy accessibility and reference [e.g. to facilitate future reporting and cross-referencing to the plan]? o The text is clearly written, but proposed activities are not presented in a way that will facilitate reporting and cross-referencing to the plan A5 Does the plan describe a process and outputs that are open to critical evaluation? o The plan does not describe outputs that will allow critical evaluation due to the lack of clear commitments and timescales B. Content of the Plan Is the Plan The Guidelines propose that the plans should contain the elements below, and should describe measurable outputs and include reference to appropriate NASCO agreements. B1 Does the plan provide a general picture of the resource and the management structure in place? o The description of the salmon resource is limited to a description of the four artificially established river stocks and limited information is provided on the authorities or legislation by which they are managed o The plan makes no mention of the presence of stocks from many European countries in Faroese waters and the management structure that controls fishing activities 21
B. Content of the Plan Is the Plan B2 Does the plan describe the current status of stocks that will allow for future comparison? o Status of the river stocks is assessed by catches and stocking levels, which are both stable, but the extent of natural production in the rivers is unclear and no information is provided on the status of stocks in Faroese marine waters B3 Does the plan provide a summary of the threats to stocks and outline current management measures? o Limited information is provided on threats and current management measures are not described o The plan considers the fisheries affecting the river stocks but not the potential marine fishery o There are said to be no external factors affecting freshwater and estuarine habitat, but it is unclear how this has been assessed o The plan mentions potential effects of aquaculture, but the effects of continued stocking are not considered B4 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to review and modify fishery regulations? o The plan lacks specific actions and associated timescales o The plan makes no mention of the management regime for controlling legal or illegal fishing for salmon in the sea B5 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to assess habitat quality, identify problems and prioritise actions? o The plan does not include specific actions and associated timescales B6 Does the plan include a summary of the approaches that will be adopted to minimise adverse effects of aquaculture and control introductions and transfers? o The plan does not include specific actions and associated timescales B7 Does the plan provide a summary of the approach that will be adopted to address other influences? N/A o No other influences are identified B8 Does the plan provide a summary of monitoring and evaluation activities that will be used to assess stock status and the efficacy of management measures? o The plan does include a reference to evaluation, but does not describe any specific activities B9 How does the plan consider socio-economic issues? o The plan does not mention consideration of socio-economic factors 22
Review of Implementation Plan FINLAND The following assessment of the Plan refers to the key requirements detailed in the Guidelines for the Preparation of NASCO Implementation Plans and for Reporting on Progress (NSTF(06)10). Under each of these headings the Plan has been classed as satisfactory if it requires no changes or only minor modifications; it has been classed as not satisfactory if significant changes or additions are required. Where N/A is shown the Group considers that the question concerned is not applicable. A. Structure and Format of the Plan Is the Plan The Guidelines indicate a number of general criteria for the Plan and indicate that they should be clearly understandable by both managers and stakeholders: A1 Does the plan apply to all stocks/fisheries managed within the jurisdiction? o The plan describes three rivers and associated fisheries, one of which has an impassable barrier in its lower reaches in Russia. The most important river is the Teno A2 Does the plan apply for a period of at least 5 years? o There is no indication of a clear timescale for the plan A3 Does the plan make reference to NASCO s Guidelines, Resolutions and Agreements? o Limited reference is made to the Decision Structure A4 Is the plan written in a clear and concise form for easy accessibility and reference [e.g. to facilitate future reporting and cross-referencing to the plan]? o The text is clearly written, but proposed activities are not presented in a way that will facilitate reporting and cross-referencing to the plan A5 Does the plan describe a process and outputs that are open to critical evaluation? o The plan does not describe outputs that will allow critical evaluation due to the lack of clear commitments and timescales B. Content of the Plan Is the Plan The Guidelines propose that the plans should contain the elements below, and should describe measurable outputs and include reference to appropriate NASCO agreements. B1 Does the plan provide a general picture of the resource and the management structure in place? o Includes a description of the salmon resource and the management structures B2 Does the plan describe the current status of stocks that will allow for future comparison? o The method for assessing the status of stocks is described, but there are conflicting statements on stock status, and the basis for future comparison is not clear 23